Conference  Program

Don’t Forget Your Vendor Passport! MASPA Members – be sure to stop by each of our amazing exhibitors today and get your Vendor Passport signed. Not only will you learn about great resources and build connections, but you’ll also be entered to win some fantastic prizes

7:00 - 8:30 AM	Check-in, Networking, and Breakfast Get settled in for the day and connect with your colleagues.
7:00 - 11:45 AM	Morning Coffee Cart Enjoy complimentary coffee and espresso drinks. Brought to you by:
8:30 - 8:40 AM	Welcome & Sponsor Recognitions
8:40 - 9:45 AM	Community Connections Attachments: Presentation (pdf)
9:45 - 10:00 AM	Break
10:00 - 11:30 AM	Keynote: Just Cause: Not Just ‘Cause I Want To! Holland Atkinson, Chief Labor Relations Officer, Hennepin County Join us for a compelling learning session from a seasoned Labor Relations and Workforce Strategy Executive with over 20 years of experience in public-sector negotiations and employee relations. Holland is known for his practical, results-driven approach; he brings a practitioner’s perspective to the evolving standards of just cause. This session will explore the historical foundations of the just cause tests and illustrate their real-world application through case studies and stories drawn from complex labor environments. This session exposes the razor-thin line between justified discipline and fatal missteps. A must-attend for anyone involved in discipline, contract administration, or labor strategy. Holland Atkinson is a seasoned Labor Relations professional with extensive experience spanning multiple roles and organizations. Currently serving as the Chief Labor Relations Officer for Hennepin County, Minnesota, Holland has previously held significant leadership positions, including Director of Labor Relations for the City of Minneapolis. Notably, he served as the Chief Negotiator for the Minneapolis Police contract during the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 and the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd. With deep roots in both operational management and front-line work , Holland's career journey began within the United States Postal Service, where he started as a Letter Carrier delivering mail in St. Paul, Minnesota. He rose through positions to manage mail operations in St. Paul post offices, then volunteered to be a Grievance Representative, and eventually Labor Relations Manager, overseeing a postal district of more than 11,000 unionized employees. From there he transitioned out of federal work and into local government labor relations. Holland holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources Management (Cum Laude) from Metropolitan State University and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. Attachments: Presentation (pdf) Brought to you by:
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM	Lunch Brought to you by:
12:15 - 12:45 AM	Exhibitor Walk & Visits Don’t Forget Your Vendor Passport! MASPA Members – be sure to stop by each of our amazing exhibitors and get your Vendor Passport signed. Not only will you learn about great resources and build connections, but you’ll also be entered to win some fantastic prizes. Collect all your signatures Turn in your completed passport Join us at 3:15 PM on conference day for the prize drawing! Don’t miss out! Fabulous prizes are waiting, and you must be present to win!
12:45-1:00 PM	MASPA Business Meeting Chris Hoehn, Executive Director, Minnesota Association of School Personnel Adiminstrators
1:00- 2:00 PM	Minnesota’s Workforce Puzzle. Data Tools for Smarter School Hiring Luke Greiner, Labor Analyst, Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development (DEED) Minnesota’s labor market is complex and often confusing. Employers report worker shortages even while many people remain out of the workforce. This session explains what is actually happening in Minnesota’s economy and labor force. Participants will learn which industries are adding jobs, where workers are returning, and which sectors continue to struggle to fill positions. The session will also introduce practical data tools from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, DEED. HR leaders will learn how to find and interpret regional wage data, cost of living comparisons, demand indicators, and Job Vacancy Survey results. The goal is to help school HR professionals use reliable labor market data to improve recruitment and staffing decisions. Luke Greiner is the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s regional analyst for central and southwestern Minnesota. Luke conducts research, writes publications, and provides presentations about Greater Minnesota's economy, job market, industry trends, career and educational decision making, and higher education outcomes. He has a bachelor's degree in management from Park University in Parkville, MO. Luke worked in workforce development for DEED before becoming an analyst, expanding his knowledge of labor force issues. Attachments: Presentation Handout(pdf)
2:00 - 2:15 PM	Break Brought to you by:
2:15 - 3:15 PM	Legal Update for School Personnel Administrators Shannon Smith, Associate, Kennedy & Graven, Chartered Maggie Wallner, Shareholder, Kennedy & Graven, Chartered This presentation will examine emerging legal challenges facing Minnesota school human resource directors and administrators in 2026. Specifically, it will address recent developments in Minnesota employment law, including updates to earned sick and safe time requirements, pay transparency mandates, and evolving standards around employee classification and workplace investigations. A focal point of the discussion will be the continued expansion of bargaining obligations under the Public Employment Labor Relations Act, including disputes related to staffing models, remote work, and workload. Additionally, the presentation will explore key school law issues such as student discipline, Title IX compliance, special education staffing constraints, and data privacy, as well as practical labor relations considerations involving negotiations, grievance trends, and arbitration outcomes in a tight labor market. Shannon Smith is an associate at Kennedy & Graven, Chartered, practicing in the area of school law. Shannon grew up in the Twin Cities. She went to college at the University of Wisconsin, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Prior to law school, Shannon worked as a teaching assistant and instructional assistant at schools in Minnesota and North Carolina. Shannon graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2020. During law school, she interned with the Education Section of the North Carolina Department of Justice and the University of North Carolina System Office. She also served as an editor for the North Carolina Law Review and authored two pieces that were selected for publication. Following law school, Shannon clerked for two years for the Honorable Jeanne M. Cochran of the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Maggie Wallner has provided legal counsel to numerous Minnesota school districts for three decades. She concentrates her practice in the areas of employment and labor law, administrative hearings, the administration of collective bargaining agreements and grievance arbitration, discrimination and civil rights law, student discipline, education law and employee benefits. She has also represented school districts in litigation matters in state, federal and appellate courts. Maggie is a frequent lecturer, most prominently in the areas of discrimination and civil rights laws, the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, public sector employment law, teacher tenure law and sexual harassment. A graduate from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Maggie received her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in 1988. She formerly worked as a county child protection social worker and in the labor relations department of Northwest Airlines, Inc. Attachments:
3:15 - 3:30 PM	Conference Closing & Vendor Passport Prize Drawing Must be present to win!

MASPA has applied for BOSA and CLE credit for attendees of this event.

---

Thanks to Our Conference Partners